THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020
www.italoamericano.org
28
L'Italo-Americano
LA BUONA TAVOLA
RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES
FRANK FARIELLO
S
avory pies and
enriched breads
f i g u r e p r o m i -
n e n t l y o n t h e
Easter dinner
table all over Italy. Today
we head north to Liguria to
p r e s e n t a n o t h e r c l a s s i c
savory pie served around
E a s t e r t i m e : l a t o r t a
p a s q u a l i n a o r , " E a s t e r
P i e . " T r a d i t i o n a l l y m a d e
from multiple layers of ultra
thin dough—legend has it
it's 33, one for each year of
Christ's life, although seven
or eight are more usual—
t h e s e d a y s t i m e - p r e s s e d
h o m e c o o k s l i k e m y s e l f
might opt for phyllo dough
or, as presented here, puff
pastry.
The stuffing is made from
Swiss chard or spinach or
both, scented with onion
a n d n u t m e g a n d p e r h a p s
other spices, over which a
slightly tart Ligurian cream
c h e e s e c a l l e d p r e s c i n -
seua is laid. (Here we have
simulated prescinseua by
mixing ricotta and Greek
y o g u r t ) . E g g s a r e g e n t l y
p l a c e d i n t o w e l l s i n t h e
stuffing, and it's all topped
with another layer of pastry
a n d f i n a l l y b a k e d i n t h e
oven until golden brown.
Simple though it is, the taste
is amazing and the various
layers of the filling are quite
attractive as you cut into it,
especially if you catch a bit
of egg yolk.
Torta pasqualina can be
eaten over the course of sev-
eral days after it is made.
Leftovers make for a lovely
p i c n i c f o o d f o r E a s t e r
Monday.
Ingredients
Serves 6 or more as an
antipasto
2 s h e e t s o f p u f f p a s t r y
(see Notes)
For the greens:
500g (1 lb) Swiss chard
and/or spinach
1 onion, finely minced
Olive oil
A sprig of marjoram
A pinch of nutmeg and/or
cloves
Salt and pepper
For the rest of the filling:
2 5 0 g ( 3 - 1 / 2 o z ) w e l l -
drained ricotta cheese
2 5 0 g ( 3 - 1 / 2 o z ) G r e e k
yogurt
5 0 g ( 2 o z ) g r a t e d
Parmesan cheese
4-5 eggs
Torta pasqualina is a traditional savory pie from Liguria (Copyright: Dreamstime)
Torta Pasqualina
Continued to page 30
